Calculating-machine.



N0. 764,008- PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

P. O. RINSOHE.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9.1903.

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PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

F. O. RINSGHE. CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1903.

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NO MODEL.

No. 764,008- PATENTED JULY 5, 1904. F. C. RINSGHE.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLIOAT ION FILED MAR. 9, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. RINSCHE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSALACCOUNTANT MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COR- PORAIION oruIssoURI.

CALCULATING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,008, dated July 5,1904.

Original application filed November 10, 1902, Serial No. 130,727.Divided and this application filed March 9, 1903. Serial To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. RINsoHE, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Calculating-Machines, of which the following is a full,clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to Which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inWhich Figure l is an elevation showing the calculatingmachine and itsdriving mechanism, portions of the parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the driving mechanism with the casing insection, thefull lines illustrating the normal positions of the parts, and theswitch-key lever, the support, and the actuating-lever of the countingmechanism being shown by dotted lines in the positions they occupy asthe motor-driven part or powersbaft of the calculating-machine is aboutto complete its movement in one direction when the repeating lever is innormal position. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism illustratedin Fig. 2, a portion of the casing being in section and the switch beingillustrated partly broken away and with the cup and cap in section. Fig.4. is a top plan view on about the line 4: t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a viewgenerally similar to Fig. 2, the parts being shown in the positionsassumed when the repeating-lever is in inoperative position; and Fig. 6is a top plan view, a portion of the calculating-machine and of thecabinet being broken away.

My invention relates to ealculatingmachines. and more particularly tothe driving mechanism therefor, this application being a division of myapplication, Serial N 0. 130,727, filed November 10, 1902.

My primary object is to provide a calculating-machine with means wherebysaid machine can be caused to automatically repeat its operation, themachine being thus capable of automatically successively adding,recording, or

(No model.)

registering a given example a number of times; and a further object isto provide-such a machine with means whereby the operator can be readilyinformed of the number of times the machine has performed its cycle ofoperations.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon machines of thecharacter indicated my invention consists in the various mattershereinafter described and claimed.

In the herein-illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown acalculating-machinc which is well-known and is fully described in myPatent No. 654,181, dated July 24, 1900, and I have shown a motor whichis that forming the subject-matter of an application for patent filed byPenrose E. Chapman on or about September 15, 1902, Serial No. 123,450.This particular motor is adapted to make only a partial revolution, theamount of movement being only that sufficient to carry the powershaft ofthe calculating-machine through the necessary are. It will, however, beapparent that other motors than those of the type just described can beemployed by me for the purposes of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings,A indicates thecalculating-machine.

B is the supporting-cabinet, and C is the motor, the motor being hereshown as geared to the calculating-machine by means of sprockets and achain, although other connections can be made between the motor and thecalculatingmachine-c. 9., as by mounting the motor directly upon thepower-shaft of the calculating machine. As here illustrated, however,the power-shaft 57 of the calculating-machine is provided with asprocket wheel or disk 1, which corresponds generally to theoperating-handle usually mounted upon said shaft. The rotatablearmature-shaft T of the motor is provided with a companion sprocketwheel2, and a sprocket-chain 3 extends about the said wheels. Suitable meansare provided for causing the usual recovery of the powershaft 57, thismeans being here shown as the well-known recovering-spring 62,connectedto the said shaft by the customary chain or other flexible connector 61.Suitably supported, as upon the top plate of the cabinet, is a standard4, and guided upon said standard, as by means of headed pins or screws5, whose shanks extend through slots 6 in the standard, is a verticallyslidable bar 10, which forms a switch-key, the lower end of said keybeing bent laterally to produce a projection 8, whose function will behereinafter explained, and said switch-key being normally held inelevated position, as by means of the recovering-spring 9. The upper endof the standard 4 is bent outwardly2 a, away from the switch-key bar-toproduce a lateral projection 11, and suitably secured to the switchkeybar is a strap bent to produce a boxing, which has a side plate 12 andtop and bottom plates 13 and 14, which extend from said side platetoward said switch-key bar and lie, respectively, above and below thesaid fixed lateralprojection. 11. Felt or other suitable packing 15 isinterposed between the said lateral projection 11 and the said plates 13and 1 1 and acts to cushion the switch-key in a mannerv which will beapparent.

Manifestly many forms of switches can be employed for controlling themotor-circuit; but I have here shown'a closed cup 16, suitably supportedupon the cabinet and having a lower relatively fixed terminal 17 and aplunger 18,;operating vertically through the cap of the cup and formingthe cooperating terminal. The cup is preferably filled with oil toprevent sparking. A spring 19 tends to throw the upper terminal orplunger 18 into-contact with the terminal 17; but as the said plungerhas a disk or other suitable projection 20, which lies above and engagesthe lateral projection 8 of the switch-key bar, said plunger is normallyheld in elevated position and-the motor-circuit is thus normally open.It will be noticed that the switch-key bar has a considerably-longerthrow than the throw of the plunger necessary to bring the latter intocontact-making position, whereby after the switch-key bar has beendepressed and the plunger-terminal has therefore been thrown by itsspring into contact-making position the switch-key bar continues todescend and passes out of engagement with the disk 20. Thus the downwardmovement of the plunger is unlimited except by the lower cooperatingterminal, and the said plunger can always descenduntil proper contact ismade, notwithstanding the fact that the terminals may wear and theplunger may therefore have to make a longer throw after the terminalshave been in service for some time than it has to make when the partsare new.- Furthermore, when the switch-key is released the projection 8has an initial movement unobstructed bythe said disk 20, and theswitchkey bar thus starts its movement and then forcibly strikes thesaid disk 20 and quickly elevates the latter.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that under normalconditions the motor is inoperative and the calculating-machine is incondition'for having a number set up thereon. After such number has beenset up. the operator depresses the switch key, whereupon the motor isenergized and rocks the power-shaft 57 forwardly against the force ofthe recovering-spring 62, said spring serving to return thepower-shaftand the motor to normal position as soon as the motor-circuitis again broken by the elevation of the switchkey.

I shall now describe the means whereby the switch-key can. be releasedby the operator almost as soon as he hasdepressed the same, and the saidkey will be held indepressed position to permit the circuit to bemaintained closed, but will be automatically elevated to cause themotor-circuit to be broken as soon as the power-shaft 57 has been rockedthrough the necessary are.

A supporting-plate 21 is screwed or otherwise secured to the face of thesprocket wheel or disk 1, the upper surface of said plate beingconcentric with said wheel and of a length corresponding to the desiredarc of movement of the power-shaft 57, while the rear .end of said plateis beveled or inclined inwardly, as shown at 22. A suitably-pivotedlever 23, conveniently supported upon the standard 1, has a slot 2 1 inone end adapted to receive a pin 25 upon the switch-key bar andoperating through a slot 26 in the said standard, and the other end ofsaid lever is bent inwardly, as shown at-27, to lie inthe plane whichincludes the supporting-plate or projection 21, the inner end of saidlever--z'. a, the end toward said supporting-plate lying at such a pointthat when the lever is rocked it can just clear the forward end of thesaid plate. When the parts are in normal position, the inner end of thesaid lever is below the said supportingplate. When the switch-key isdepressed, the inner end of the said lever is elevated to a positionabove the said supporting-plate, the motor is energized in a mannerwhich will be understood, and the sprocket-wheel 1 is rotatedsufliciently to. carry the forward end of the supporting-plate beneaththe inner end of the lever, whereby the switch-key bar is locked downwith the projection 8 out of engagement with the disk 20 and themotor-circuit is maintained closed notwithstanding the fact that theoperator removes his finger from the switch-key. As soon, however, asthe powershaft 57 has moved through the necessary are thesupporting-plate passes from beneath the raised lever end and the spring9 elevates the switch-key bar, thus throwing the inner end of the leverdownwardly into its normal position below the said supporting-plate,breaking the motor-circuit and permitting the recovering-spring 62 toreturn the power-shaft to normal position. The construction justdescribed also prevents the operator from attempting to depress theswitch-key, and thus cause the power-shaft to start a second operationbefore it has completed one already commenced.

I shall now describe the herein-illustrated means for causing the motorto be automatically successively energized, whereby thecalculating-machine can be caused to automatically operate several timesin succession.

Pivoted to the rotating hub 28 of the sprocket wheel or disk 1 is alever 29, to whose rear end is connected a spring 30, which tends todepress said rear end, the movement of said lever under the action ofsaid spring being limited, as by means of a stop-pin 31, projecting fromthe said sprocketdisk. Suitably pivoted, as upon the standard 32, iswhat I shall term a repeatinglever 33, which is readily accessible tothe operator of the machine and has a nose or projection 3A, which whenthe said repeating-lever is in normal position lies over the forward endof the said lever 29 and holds the said forward end of said lever 29 ina depressed position against the force of the spring 30 when thesprocket-disk is in normal position. The said repeating-lever 33 isnormally held in what may be termed its forwardoperative position bymeans of aspring 35. The lever 29 has its forward end bent to extendbeneath the lever 23, as shown at 36; but when the repeating-lever is inits. normal operative position its nose 34 engages the said lever 29 andprevents the same from operatively engaging the said lever 23. Thereforewhen the repeating-lever is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2,the mechanism operates in the manner heretofore described, and the lever29 performs no function whatever, merely movingidl y with the wheelordisk 1. We will assume, however, that the operator desires to repeatagiven number. After setting up the number upon the machine in the usualway he pulls the repeating-lever 33 from its operative position, andthus carries its nose 34 out of engagement with the lever 29. The spring31 immediately exerts its force to raise the forward end of the saidlever 29, whereupon the lever 23 is rocked into the position into whichit would be thrown were the switchkey depressed, and the switch-key baris therefore lowered just as if the switch-key had been operated. Thusthe motor is energized and the sprocket-wheel, with itssupporting-plate,

is carried forward in the usual manner, the inner end of the lever 23slipping off the supporting-plate and breaking the motor-circuit as soonas the power-shaft 57 has been carried through the necessary are. As thesprocket wheel or disk returns to its normal position,

however, the repeating-lever 23 being still" held by the operator in itsretracted inoperative position, the forward end-of the lever 29 (whichis abnormally raised by means of the spring 30) engages the inner end ofthe lever 23, whereupon the switch-key bar is again depressed, themotor-circuit is again completed, and the power shaft 57 is given asecond operation, the above-described cycle of operations being repeatedas long as the repeating-lever 33 is held in a retracted position. Afterthe'power-shaft has been rocked forwardly as many times as is desiredthe repeating-lever 33 is released and permitted to be thrown into itsnormal operative position. Therefore as the sprocket wheel or disk 1returns to normal position for the last time the forward end of thelever 29 engages under the nose 34:, and the said sprocket-disk comes torest with the lever 23 in its normal position and the switch-keyelevated.

In order to indicate to the operator the number of times that thesprocket-wheel 1 and the power-shaft 57 have operated, I mount acounting mechanism D in a suitable casing 36, supported upon the casing37 which incloses the operating parts heretofore described, and thiscounting mechanism includes an arm or lever 38, which extends into thepath of movement of a pin or projection 39 upon the sprocket wheel ordisk 1, said lever having a spring 40 connected thereto, which tends toforce the lever arm forwardly. Therefore as the sprocket-disk movesforwardly the lever-arm of the counting mechanism is thrown forwardly byits spring 40, and as the sprocketwheel returns to normal position itspin 39 engages the operating-arm 38 and throws the same backwardly, thecounting mechanism thus operating in unison with the powershaft 57.

Preferably the driving mechanism illustrated is mounted upon a suitablecabinet or other support, so that in order to apply the same to anymachine of the usual type provided with the customary operating-handleit is only necessary to mount such machine upon the said cabinet, removeits usual operatinghandle from the power-shaft 57, and secure thesprocket-wheel 1 upon said power-shaft in lieu of the said handle. Forconvenience in manufacture I have struck up the standards 4 and 32 froma common base 41, said base being supported upon the top plate of thecabinet; but it will be apparent that the said standards can be made andconstructed in many other ways.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a calculating-machine having a power-shaft,means for setting up items, and devices for causing registration ofan...item upon a given operation of said power-shaft, of power mechanismfor operating said shaft, and means whereby after said power mechanismhas been set into operation it will of itself and Without further actionupon the part of the operator continue to operate and thus causeuninterrupted successive operations of said power-shaft while an item isset up, whereby, the said item having been set up and said powermechanism having been started the said item is without further actionupon the part of the operator registered in the machine a plurality oftimes; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a calculating-machine having a power-shaft,means for setting up items, and devices for causing registration of anitem upon operation of said power-shaft, of a movable controlling memberunder the control of the operator, and means whereby movement of saidcontrolling member causes said power-shaft to commence a cycle ofmovements to effect registration of an item and also causes saidpower-shaft to automatically repeat its cycle of movements while saiditem is set up; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a calculating-machine, of a power member,operative connection between said power member and said machine, meansfor causing said power member to drive said machine through a singlecycle of movements and then automatically cease to drive said machine,and means for causing said power member to automatically drive saidmachine through a succession of cycles of movements; substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a calculating-machine including a reciprocatorypower-shaft, of a reciprocatory motor, driving connection between saidmotor and said power-shaft for driving the latter in one direction,means for energizing said motor to cause the same to be driven in onedirection, means whereby when said power-shaft completes its movement insaid direction said motor is deencrgized, and a recovering-spring forreversely operating said power-shaft and motor; substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with a calculating-machine including a power-shaft,of a recovering-spring connected to said power-shaft, a motor, meanswhereby said motor is compelled to make only a limited movement, anddriving connection between said motor and said power-shaft;substantially as described.

6. In a calculating-machine or the like, the combination with a standardprovided with a projection, of a slide-bar connected to anopcrating-key, plates connected to said bar and upon opposite sides ofsaid projection, and cushions between the said projection and therespective said plates; substantially as described.

7 In a calculating-machine or the like, the combination with a standardprovided with a projection, of a slide-bar connected to anopcrating-key, a boxing connected to said bar and having plates, uponopposite sides of said projection and a plate connecting saidfirstmentioned plates and at the edge of said projection, and cushionsin said boxing and between the said projection and the respective saidplates upon opposite sides thereof; substantially as described.

8. The combination with the power-driven shaft of a calculating-machine,of a motor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft, aswitch-key controlling the circuit including said motor, and meanscontrolled by said shaft for maintaining said key in operative position;substantially as described.

9. The combination with the power-driven shaft of a calculating-machine,of a motor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft,aswitch-key controlling the circuit which includes said motor, a supportupon said shaft, and a member connected to said switch-key and adaptedto be supported upon said support to maintain said switch-key inoperative position, said shaft being movable when said switch-key is ininoperative position; substantially as described.

10. The combination with the power-shaft of a calculating-machine, of amotor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft, aswitch-key controlling the circuit including the said motor, a supportupon said shaft, a member connected to said switch-key and adapted to besupported upon said support to maintain said key in operative position,means whereby said key moves into inoperative position when said supportis removed from the said member, said shaft being movable when saidswitch-key is in inoperative position, and a recovering-spring for saldshaft; substantially as described.

11. The combination with the power-shaft of a calculating-machine, of adisk thereon, a motor, driving connection between said motor and saiddisk, a lateral projection upon said disk, a switch-key controlling thecircuit including said motor, and a member connected to said switch-keyand adapted to be supported upon said lateral projection to maintainsaid key in operative position; substantially as described.

12. The combination in a calculating-machine having normally a regularcycle of operations, of registering mechanisms, a powershaft foroperating the same and a source of power for operating the shaft, meanscapable of being set up for predetermining the extent of movement of theregistering mechanisms for each cycle of operations and means which iscapable upon a single operation of causing a plurality of operations ofthe registering mechanisms each an amount predetermined by one settingup of the predetermining means; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence oftwo Witnesses, 10 this 19th day of February, 1903.

FRANK C. RINSCHE.

Witnesses:

GALEs P. JMOORE, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

